Electric Scooters Prove to Be Nuisance

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The capital city of the U.S. and many other major metropolitan areas around the nation are littered with electric or e-scooters. Many people have begun to complain that they are a nuisance and are unsafe to operate. CBS News claims that cities that allow e-scooter companies to operate experience three significant problems with the e-scooter programs running in their respective cities. First, e-scooters can reach speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. E-scooter riders frequently ride e-scooters on sidewalks, thereby endangering pedestrians. Secondly, auto insurance companies will not cover liability claims for personal injuries or property damage while riding an e-scooter. Third, the only safety requirements of e-scooters are those established by an “honor system.” Many people feel that something must be done. *

E-scooters are the hot new trend in an emerging industry dubbed “micro-mobility.” CBS News says that e-scooters have now outpaced rental bikes as the most popular method of traveling around a city. Current estimates suggest that 85,000 e-scooters are available to rent in cities in the U.S. 

The availability of e-scooters has led to numerous problems, however. Approximately 1,500 people have sustained an injury while riding an e-scooter in the last two years. Also, eight people died in e-scooter accidents. Several people have been paralyzed as well. 

While many people enjoy the speed and thrill riding an e-scooter can deliver, numerous others have expressed what people are now calling “E-scooter rage.” For example, people in Portland, Oregon, are so fed up with people leaving e-scooters all over that they began throwing them in the river. The mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, opted to end the city’s e-scooter pilot program. The mayor informed all seven e-scooter companies operating in Nashville that citizens are tired of the “visual clutter, improper riding, parking violations, and poor rider education” tied to the e-scooter pilot program.

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Source:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/electric-scooter-backlash-leads-to-new-laws-and-scooter-rage-july-2019/